Box Score GRIMES, Iowa --- It was a match 10 months in the making and it seemed as if it was about 10 months long while every scintillating second of this 2014 NAIA National Semifinal rematch between No. 4 Biola and No. 14 Park was must-see volleyball.
The result did not end up in Biola's favor as the Pirates claimed their third-consecutive five-set victory to upset the Eagles who stormed out to a 2-0 lead in the match (29-27, 29-27, 27-29, 24-26, 10-15).
Despite the loss you really cannot be disappointed in a match like this one where four of the five sets took extra points to find a winner and both teams hit just about .300 as a team and combined for nearly 160 kills in a dominant display of good volleyball that had fans glued to their seats for about two and a half hours inside of the Ohana Sports Complex.
Three was the magic number in the first set as the two sides traded runs of three in a competitive set until Park was staring down its first set point of the match with a 24-21 lead.
Biola rattled off four points in a row with two kills from
Christina DenBoer, one from
Alyssa Mason and one of Park's just five attack errors in the set to take a 25-24 lead. After that the teams alternated points as Biola saw three set points fall by the wayside before it finally got back-to-back points off kills by DenBoer and
Joclyn Kirton to claim the intense first set.
That intensity did not waver a bit through the rest of the match as the second and third set held identical score lines to the first with Biola claiming one and Park claiming the other.
The Eagles were in the driver's seat throughout much of the second set until the Pirates were able to take six of eight points to turn what was a 21-18 deficit into another set point at 24-23.
Biola defended that set point attempt and three others before it got three straight points to turn a 27-26 disadvantage into another 29-27 win. DenBoer sealed this set with another kill, which was one of her 16 on the morning. She was one of four Eagles with 10 or more kills and one of three with 15-plus.
The Park attack was a bit less spread out as only three attackers got into double-digits. However, their top-2 attackers ended the day with 25 and 24 kills and both hit around .300 in efficient performances that made all the difference as they were able to win the final three sets.
Biola had one match point in the third set at 24-23 before succumbing to the park attack in extra points. It had another critical chance to finish the match as it rode the momentum of six straight points to knot to fourth set at 23 before losing three of the final four points and allowing the match to go five.
Just as it finished 10 months ago this Pirates team had the advantage in the fifth set as it held Biola to just a .091 hitting percentage in the final set, which was the lowest number by either team in any set.
After two and a half hours of grueling work on the court the Eagles can walk away with heads held high knowing that the team they will likely have a chance to avenge this loss yet again later this December as they still hold a 19-2 overall record and top-5 national ranking.
Joclyn Kirton had a strong match with a team-best 19 kills and
Becca Branch added a team-high 36 assists as the Eagles hit .258 as a team in the match.
Biola had 10 service aces and held Park to just five, but the Eagles added 11 service errors in an area they'll definitely look to sure up before their next match.
Biola gets back to its home gym for the first time in just about a month this Wednesday when it faces Life Pacific at 7:00 p.m.
